Choice

[timerollin]

I have a story that was told to me by a woman who faced a choice long before Roe vs. Wade.

She was not yet seventeen when her first child was born. By the time she turned twenty one she was the mother of four. When she was pregnant with her fifth, she thought another baby would be the straw that broke the camel's back. She told her sister; who made the arrangements.

In the late forties the East Village in New York City was a place for poet and dreamer. Yet also lurking in the shadows was the doer of dirty deeds.

Each step to the fourth floor brought the girls closer to the choice. When they arrived at the third floor, an old woman looked at them with disdain through the crack of the partially opened door, for she knew why they were there.

A young man opened the door, he was almost handsome in a grubby kind of way. To the sisters his effeminate ways would have seemed funny if it was not for the seriousness of why they were there. The place was a pigsty, the stench of old socks was so thick it made the sisters feel oily.

He motioned for the sisters to come sit while he filled two glasses to the brim with whiskey. "Drink it all down" he told them. "You will need it."

"I need another drink," the woman said.

He told the sister to wait while he accompanied the pregnant woman to a back room. As she followed, she turned to look at her sister, both women were crying.

The bedroom smelled worse than the front room as if that was possible. Sitting by the bed was an old man who looked at her above his glasses with piercing blue eyes that floated in reddish brown pools. The collar of his shirt was yellow with sweat and the front had stains that ran down to his belt. He had a bottle in one hand and a Bible in the other.

After the young man placed a rubber sheet on the bed he told the woman to take off her clothes. He looked at her; his eyes dull and passionless as she laid there naked and ashamed. The old man with Bible in hand, kneeled beside the bed and mumbled prayer after prayer as the young man laid out the tools of his trade.

The old man stood up and said "I can't do it today, come back tomorrow."

The young man started shrieking "you old fool, you son-of-a-bitch. you are going to do it and you are going to do it now." With that he slapped the old man..

"I can't, not today. I just can't its not right, something is not right today." The old man was crying as he tries to hug the young man, who pushes him away.


This completely unnerved the woman who grabbed her clothes and fled the apartment never to return.

That woman was my mother and I am now a man who almost never was.

[melinda]

wow.
an amazing and beautifully written story.
thank you for sharing your story with us ...

[ImNewHere]

Tell me more about what happened with the young man and the sisters who got all liquored up. How did that turn out?

[timerollin]

WOW, I am starting to like you. I have to admit you got CLASS, my man.

[Talk2Bill]

Nice story.

I have a weird reaction to it. Well a weird comment, it is about the old man's refusal. My thought was, a pro-abort would want to have that man that refused punished. There is some MAJOR confusion. It is not even so much about choice. What is says is a woman can have one done or NOT and a doctor can preform one or NOT. After all there is no CHOICE with out the option to NOT do it.

This is where the right of a Doctor to NOT preform them or even give guidance on where to get one as well as the right of a pharmacist to NOT dispense birth control (including plan b). A woman's 'right' to have an abortion or get birth control or NOT is just as protected under ROE as the heath care provider's 'right' to or not.

[Talk2Bill]

getting 'liquored up' is the old fashion general anesthetic. Today they give you a Valium, it is not any different.

[mysticbeauty_nbeast]

Late 1940's verses present day.....huge huge difference in how female reproductive and female health issues are dealt with. In the 1940's, female health care was more 'veterinary' in it's style. Brood creatures of sorts...mere lesser beings in comparison to the all knowing male. We were nothing more anatomically then male bodies with the addition of a uterus and ovaries. Oh how times have changed those stances and views.

Back alley abortions...how many horrific stories have we read about? The stats of pre Roe Vs. Wade are staggering. Post Roe Vs. Wade, female death rates dropped dramatically due to those filthy horrific back alley abortion shops being shut down.

We as a culture may debate about the right or wrong of choice...however, it is up to the woman who is faced with that choice that must face it and walk what ever choice is available to her.

Abortion should not be used as a form of birth control. However, far to many scenarios do arise that a choice is and can be a blessing in disguise.

Until you've walked a mile in one of these woman's shoes...you can't possibly hold judgement upon her right to a choice.

~Mysty

[ManOfFaith]

Tell me more about what happened with the young man and the sisters who got all liquored up. How did that turn out?

That's in the next installment "The cousins I almost never met"

[ManOfFaith]

but back on topic, we're happy that you are here.

[ImNewHere]

WOW, I am starting to like you. I have to admit you got CLASS, my man.

'Bout time. We're happy that you are here.

[Dreamy]

Late 1940's verses present day.....huge huge difference in how female reproductive and female health issues are dealt with. In the 1940's, female health care was more 'veterinary' in it's style. Brood creatures of sorts...mere lesser beings in comparison to the all knowing male. We were nothing more anatomically then male bodies with the addition of a uterus and ovaries. Oh how times have changed those stances and views.

Back alley abortions...how many horrific stories have we read about? The stats of pre Roe Vs. Wade are staggering. Post Roe Vs. Wade, female death rates dropped dramatically due to those filthy horrific back alley abortion shops being shut down.

We as a culture may debate about the right or wrong of choice...however, it is up to the woman who is faced with that choice that must face it and walk what ever choice is available to her.

Abortion should not be used as a form of birth control. However, far to many scenarios do arise that a choice is and can be a blessing in disguise.

Until you've walked a mile in one of these woman's shoes...you can't possibly hold judgement upon her right to a choice.

~Mysty


Thank you Time for your story.

I understand what you are saying Mysty but is abortion easier than adoption for some women? That is the part I can't wrap my own brain around.

End a life or give away a life? No brainer to me.

[angelicmadrigal]

but back on topic, we're happy that you are here.

So you actually believe this is legitimate? Okay.

[Dreamy]

So you actually believe this is legitimate? Okay.

Very few personal stories can be verified here and like you I have my doubts but what else can one do online except read it and take it for what its worth?

[angelicmadrigal]

Very few personal stories can be verified here and like you I have my doubts but what else can one do online except read it and take it for what its worth?

I honestly can't take it at face value. It's far far too convienent of a story.

[angelicmadrigal]

I understand what you are saying Mysty but is abortion easier than adoption for some women?

Depends on the woman, when it's a matter of the preservation of your health I think for some people it might make that choice a little easier, for some people maybe it wouldn't. It's all a matter of how a person rationalizes it out in their brain.

[EmmanuelGoldstein]

Late 1940's verses present day.....huge huge difference in how female reproductive and female health issues are dealt with. In the 1940's, female health care was more 'veterinary' in it's style. Brood creatures of sorts...mere lesser beings in comparison to the all knowing male. We were nothing more anatomically then male bodies with the addition of a uterus and ovaries. Oh how times have changed those stances and views.

Back alley abortions...how many horrific stories have we read about? The stats of pre Roe Vs. Wade are staggering. Post Roe Vs. Wade, female death rates dropped dramatically due to those filthy horrific back alley abortion shops being shut down.

We as a culture may debate about the right or wrong of choice...however, it is up to the woman who is faced with that choice that must face it and walk what ever choice is available to her.

Abortion should not be used as a form of birth control. However, far to many scenarios do arise that a choice is and can be a blessing in disguise.

Until you've walked a mile in one of these woman's shoes...you can't possibly hold judgement upon her right to a choice.

~Mysty

Very well said.

[CountryGirl]

This doesn't read like a forum post to me. It reads like a short story.

A little googling shows that this story was published online, copyright 2007. The participants name associated with it is the same as the OP's name so I'm guessing they are one in the same.

As to if its fiction or not, don't know. Something about the writing style makes me think the author is relatively young yet the story is set in the late 1940's. That would make the author about age 60.

Interesting, none-the-less.

[timerollin]

Girl

Not young, but my style is youthful.

It is a true story.

I think it makes some think what if all that had life, lived

[timerollin]

Dreamy this story is true, and I have a witness. Even if this was not true there still are millions who never had a chance much less a choice.

[Haplo]

If it wasn't for my dad remarrying after a divorce, I would not be here today. I only know a tiny bit of the story and have never wanted to know more...but the gist is my dad wanted kids but she didn't and went to lengths to prevent getting pregnant.

Actually if it wasn't for my grandad (dad's dad) getting remarried after the death of his first wife, my dad never would have been which would definitely keep me from being.

I never thought of it this way before but I owe my existence to men getting married more then once.

[timerollin]

Hap, That 's about as funny as death.:dance:

[Rorus Raz]

I think it makes some think what if all that had life, livedIt'd be a bit crowded.

[timerollin]

Raz, I guess its ok as long as you have elbow room.